The Crucible Vocabulary: Act I
1) crucible (noun) [KROO-suh-buhl] – 1) a heat-resistant container in which ores, metals, and
impurities are melted; 2) bottom of a furnace; 3) testing circumstances that cause people to
change; 4) an ordeal or severe trial
2) inert (adj.) [in-URT] – 1) unable to move or act; 2) sluggish in action or motion
Ex: Wiped out after such a tremendous undertaking, he was inert from exhaustion.
[inertly – adv.]
3) ingratiate (verb) [in-GRAY-shee-ate] – to gain favor with someone by deliberate efforts
Ex: Chuck tried his best to ingratiate himself with his boss by bringing her coffee.
4) paradox (noun) [PAR-uh-doks] – 1) a statement or idea that seems self-contradictory or absurd
but in reality expresses a possible truth
Ex: It is paradoxical that standing is more tiring than walking.
[paradoxical – adj.; paradoxically – adv.]
5) dissemble (verb) [di-SEM-buhl] – to conceal one’s true motives or thoughts often by giving a
false or misleading appearance
Ex: Buster dissembled his appearance in order to sneak into the party he wasn’t invited to.
[dissembler (noun) – one who dissembles]
6) begrudge (verb) [bi-GRUHJ] - 1) to envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of someone else;
2) to be reluctant to give or allow
Ex: We all begrudged Jim his new Porsche.
Ex: She did not begrudge the money spent on her children’s education.
[begrudgingly – adv.] Ex: Begrudgingly, I gave my phone to the teacher.
7) formidable (adj.) [FAWR-mi-duh-buhl] – 1) causing fear or apprehension; 2) discouraging
because of awesome strength, power, size, or strength
Ex: Despite its cute appearance, the kitten was quite a formidable opponent.
[formidability – noun]
8) trepidation (noun) [trep-i-DAY-shuhn] – 1) a state of alarm, dread, or apprehension; 2)
involuntary trembling or quivering
Ex: I feel a massive amount of trepidation about taking my driver’s license test.
[trepidatious – adj.]
9) reckon (verb) [REK-uhn] – 1) to count, compute, or calculate; 2) to settle accounts, as with a
person (often followed by “up”)
reckoning (noun) – 1) a count or calculation; 2) the settlement of accounts between parties
Ex: A good business must reckon its profits and expenditures regularly.
Ex: Some believe there will be a day of reckoning, when our good and bad deeds will be measured.
10) partisan (noun/adj.) [PAHR-tuh-zuhn] – a biased, even blind supporter of a person, group, or
cause, often not willing to listen to other people’s opinions
Ex: A partisan to her political party, Rita blindly voted only for candidates who were
Democrats, without ever giving any of the other nominees a chance.
[partisanship – noun]
11) titillate (verb) [TIT-l-ate] – to excite or arouse agreeably
Ex: The sight of the birthday balloons titillated the young girl.
[titillation – noun; titillating – adj.]
12) pretense (noun) [pri-TENS or PREE-tens] – an act that is actually pretend or false; a piece of
make-believe
Ex: When I told you I loved you, it was merely pretense.
13) licentious (adj.) [li-SEN-shuhs] – 1) sexually unrestrained; 2) lawless or immoral
Ex: Politicians and priests are judged most harshly for their licentious behavior.
[licentiousness – noun; licentiously – adv.]
Words used in the Puritan era we no longer use or use differently
Goody (proper noun) a term meaning Mrs., a title for a married woman, short for “Goodwife”
sport (adj) – for fun or play
dumb (adj) – mute, unable to speak
wits (noun) – intelligence; mental faculties
yeomanry (noun) – a class of English commoners who owned and farmed their own land and later
a British volunteer cavalry force, formed in 1761
truck (verb) – to barter or exchange with; to have dealings with
Whenever you are asked to include a vocabulary word we are studying in an assignment or
piece of writing, make sure you do the following:
1. Use the correct part of speech for the word. You can’t use an adjective as a verb, etc.
WRONG: Because I was so tired, I inerted on the couch all afternoon.
Inert is an adjective, not a verb.
2. Make sure the sentence contains enough information to show that you know the
meaning of the word.
EXAMPLE: If you were to write the sentences below, I wouldn’t be able to tell that you
understand the meaning of the word inert.
I felt inert after school. OR My inert dog is named Howard.
3. Always underline or highlight the vocabulary word in your sentence.
The Crucible Vocabulary: Act II
1. condemn (verb) [kun-DEM] – 1) to give someone a legal sentence; 2) to judge someone as guilty; 3) to
say that someone or something is bad or unacceptable; 4) to force someone to experience something
unpleasant; 5) to ban the use of something
Ex: The murderer was condemned to life in prison.
[condemnation – noun; condemnable – adj.]
2. lofty (adj.) [LAWF-tee] – 1) very high or tall; 2) of high rank or character; 3) elevated and in tone or
style, such as writing or speech that may use a formal, important tone; 4) acting with an arrogant or
superior manner
Ex: The movie was filled with many lofty idea, but I just wanted to laugh and see cool effects.
[loftiness – noun; loftily – adj.]
3. bewilder (verb) [bi-WIL-der] – 1) to confuse or puzzle someone
Ex: The twists and turns of the cave soon bewildered me.
[bewildered (adj.) – to feel confused; bewilderedness – noun]
4. ameliorate (verb) [uh-MEEL-yuh-rate] – to improve or make something better or more bearable
Ex: Tylenol will ameliorate the pain of a headache. (We typically use this when talking about
something that needs improving—that’s in a negative state. We wouldn’t say “I ameliorated the chocolate
sundae by adding a cherry and hot caramel sauce.)
[ameliorable – adj.]
5. indignant (adj.) [in-DIG-nunt] – feeling angry or upset at the injustice, unfairness, or unreasonableness
of something
Ex: After her brother received a new car for his birthday, Jill was indignant because she had only
been given a card on hers.
[indignation – noun]
6. avid (adj.) [AV-id] - eager for or enthusiastic about something
Ex: At the end of the summer, I had no money left because I am an avid moviegoer and I spent all
my time at the theater.
[avidly – adv.]
7. civil (adj.) [SIV-uhl] – 1) polite, courteous; adhering to the norms of polite social intercourse—not rude
2) relating to what happens within a state or citizens (such as a civil court)
Ex: After their divorce, the man and woman did not like being together, but they were civil when
they had to be.
[civility – noun]
8. base (adj.) – 1) lacking morals, dishonorable, selfish; 2) of little or no value or quality; worthless.
**(note this word can also be a noun or verb with a whole bunch of other definitions but we’ll just
focus on the adjective form as that’s how it’s used in the play in Act II. “Woman, am I so base? Do
you truly think me base?” John Proctor asks his wife.)
Ex: The thief was so base that he even stole the family’s dog and sold it for money.
[baseness – noun]
9. deference (noun) [DEF-er-uhns] – 1) polite respect, especially putting anther person’s interests first;
2) submission to the judgment, opinion, or wishes of another person (the word is often used with these
prepositions: Out of deference to, In deference to, With deference to
Ex: In deference to the wishes of my dad, I will eat the meatloaf casserole he made, even though it
tastes terrible.
Ex: Because he survived an attack from Voldemort, Harry is shown extreme deference by other
wizards.
[deferential or deferent – adj.]
10. pious (adj.) [PIE-uhs] – 1) devoutly religious; 2) holy or sacred; 3)acting in a falsely, hypocritically
moralizing way
Ex: Mother Theresa was a pious individual because she was committed to her faith.
[piousness – noun; piously – adv.]
11. daft (adj.) – 1) senseless, stupid, or foolish; 2) insane or crazy
Ex: Henry’s plan to impress Maria by eating a dung beetle was a daft one.
[daftness – noun; daftly – adv.]
12. gingerly (adv.) [JIN-jer-lee] - doing something in a very cautious or tentative way
Ex: He placed the glass jar gingerly on the concrete step.
[gingerliness – noun]
Words used in the Puritan era we no longer use or use differently
Aye - yes
draught – a large and hurried swallow of a drink
poppet – a doll sewn out of fabric
trafficked – to deal with or make an exchange with
quail – to lose heart or courage; to shrink with fear
The Crucible Vocabulary: Act III
1) forbidding (adj.) [fer-BID-ing] – 1) grim; unfriendly; hostile; sinister; 2) dangerous or
threatening
Ex: his forbidding scowl; the forbidding clouds
[forbiddingly – adv.]
2) contentious (adj.) [kun-TEN-shus] – likely to create or cause argument or strife; quarrelsome
Ex: the contentious child; the contentious topic
[contend – verb; contentiousness – noun; contentiously – adv.]
3) probity (noun) [PROH-bi-tee] – honesty; integrity and uprightness
Ex: If I let you copy my homework, I would sacrifice my probity.
4) prodigious (adj.) [pruh-DIJ-uhs] – extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force, etc
Ex: a prodigious storm; a prodigious donation to a charity
[prodigiously – adv.]
5) reproach (verb) [ri-PROHCH] - to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure
Ex: The President reproached the general for…
[reproachful (adj) – expressing reproach (as in, a reproachful look); reproachable (adj) –
worthy of reproach (as in, a reproachable action)] You will often hear someone say, “His
character is beyond reproach”—meaning you can’t find fault with his character.
6) effrontery (noun) [i-FRUN-tuh-ree] – behavior or an attitude that is so shamelessly bold that it’s
insulting
Ex: She had the effrontery to ask for two free samples. (OR when someone says, “I
can’t believe she had the nerve to do that!” They are talking about the person’s effrontery.)
7) immaculate (adj.) [i-MAK-yuh-lit] – 1) free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean. 2) free from
moral blemish or impurity; pure
Ex: an immaculate sheet; an immaculate record
[immaculately – adv.]
8) qualm (noun) [KWAHM] – 1) an uneasy feeling about the rightness of an action or conduct; 2) a
sudden feeling of apprehension, uneasiness, or sickness
Ex: He has no qualms about lying. Qualms of homesickness.
9) guile (noun) [GAHYL} – treacherous cunning or cleverness in attaining a goal; crafty or artful
deception
Ex: Abigail used guile to get what she wanted: her stallion-man.
[beguile (verb) – to trick or deceive]
10) incredulous (adj) [in-KREJ-uh-lus] – skeptical; disbelieving
Ex: Davey is incredulous of stories about flying stories.
John gave Amy an incredulous stare when she announced that she was pregnant.
[incredulity – noun]
11) lechery (noun) [LETCH-uh-ree] – unrestrained or excessive indulgence of sexual desire or
lustful behavior
Ex: Proctor is guilty of lechery.
[lecherous – adj.; lecher (noun) – one who commits lechery
12) ipso facto (adverb) [IP-soh FAK-toh]– (LATIN) by that very fact or act; as an inevitable result;
a direct consequence
Ex: If we stand by and do nothing when someone bullies another student, we become,
ipso facto, equally guilty of cruelty.
Legal terms used in Act III
Affidavit (noun) – a written declaration upon oath made before an authorized official
Deposition (noun) – a statement under oath, taken down in writing, to be used in court in
place of the spoken testimony of the witness
Perjury (noun) - the deliberate giving of false, misleading, or incomplete testimony under
oath
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The Crucible Vocabulary: Act IV
1) gaunt (adj.) [GAWNT] – extremely thin and bony; haggard and drawn, as from great hunger, weariness, or
torture; emaciated
Ex: the prisoner’s gaunt frame
[gauntness – noun; gauntly – adv.]
2) embodiment (noun) [em-BOD-ee-muh nt]– a person, being, or tangible thing that expresses an abstract
idea, spirit, or principle
Ex: For many people, their country’s flag is an embodiment of patriotism and history.
[embody – verb]
3) flounder (verb) [FLOUN-der] – 1) to struggle with stumbling or plunging movements (usually followed by
about, along, on, through, etc.); 2) to struggle clumsily or helplessly
Ex: He saw the child floundering about in the water.
[floundering – adj.; flounderingly – adv.]
4) reprieve [ri-PREEV] – (noun) 1) a rest from impending punishment, as from execution of a sentence of
death; 2) any rest or temporary relief. (verb) 1) to delay the impending punishment or
sentence of a condemned person; 2) to bring relief to
Ex: The governor has reprieved the execution of the death-row inmate because new evidence
has come to light. I need a reprieve from all this homework.
[reprievable – adj.]
5) adamant (adj.) [AD-uh-munt] – stubbornly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings,
etc.
Ex: My grandfather is adamant that he must eat tapioca pudding at every meal.
[adamancy – noun; adamantly – adv.]
6) cleave (verb) [KLEEV] – to adhere closely to; stick to; cling to; to remain faithful to (usually followed by
to)
Ex: to cleave to one's principles in spite of persecution.
7) quail (verb) [KWAYL] – to lose heart or courage in difficulty or danger; shrink with fear
Ex: Don’t quail in the face of adversity.
8) calamity (noun) [kuh-LAM-i-tee] – 1) a great misfortune or disaster, as a flood or serious injury; 2) serious
or significant distress; adversity; misery
Ex: Ike was a calamity for Galveston. The calamity of war
[calamitous – adj.]
9) conciliatory (adj.) [kun-SIL-ee-uh-tohr-ee] – attempting to reconcile with someone; trying to overcome the
distrust, hostility, or anger of someone; willing to regain someone’s friendship or
goodwill
Ex: In order to get out of “the doghouse”, Jake brought his wife a conciliatory bouquet of flowers.
[conciliate – verb; conciliation – noun]
10) purge (verb) [PURJ] – 1) to rid of whatever is impure or undesirable; cleanse; purify; 2) to rid, clear, or
free (usually followed by of or from)
Ex: to purge a political party of disloyal members.
[a purging – noun]
11) frantic (adj.) [FRAN-tik] – desperate or wild with excitement, passion, fear, pain, etc.; frenzied
Ex: frantic with worry. He made a frantic last-minute decision.
[frantically – adv.; franticness – noun]
12) merely (adv.) [MEER-lee] – only as specified and nothing more; simply
Ex: It’s merely a flesh wound. I was merely asking.
[mere – adj.]
Other words used in Act IV you may not be familiar with:
Gibbet (noun) – a gallows with a projecting arm at the top, from which the bodies of criminals were
formerly hung in chains and left suspended after execution
Excommunication (noun) – the act of excluding or expelling one from membership or participation in
any group, association, etc. especially the Church
Penitence (noun) - regret for one's wrongdoing or sinning; contrition; repentance